Valve for fire-sprinkler systems.



No. 884,841. PATENTED APR. 14, 1808.

J'. B. MGGINLBY. VALVE POR FIRE SPRINKLEB. SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1907.

[NMi/V701?. J3 m8611787 I A JAMES B. MCGINLEY, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANL, ASSIGNOR 'lO @R01/VN FIRE EXTIN- GUSHER COMPANY, OF PlTTSlBURG, PENNSYLVl-UIA, A COPARTN'ERSHIP.

VALVE FOR FIRE-SPRINKLER SYSTEMS.

Application flied June 29, 1907i Serial No. Bl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

T 0 all wiom if may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES B, lileGi'NLnrf n citizeny of 'the United States of America, residing et Allegheny, in tlie county of Allegheny and State, ol,I Pennsylvenia, lieve in` Vented certain new sind useful impro Venierits in Valves for Fire Sprinkler Systems, of which the following is e specification, relierence 'being had. therein to the accompanying drawing. This invention relates to valves for re sprinkler systems and its object is to provide improved meiins vfor automatically opening n valve to permit water to pass through the sprinkler pipes.

A further oioject ci' the invention is to combine With an antoineticelly-opersiting -ii'etercontrolling Valve an alarm device comprising a piston, sind electrical conta-ct points adapted to be bridged by seid 'piston to complete on electric circuit to an audible alarm.

The construction of the improvement will he full)v described hereinafter in connection With the accompanying drawing which forms pertof this ccilicetion :ind its novel features will be defined in the appended. cliiinis.

In the drawing, F'gure 1 is ai vertical see- 'tioniil elevation of a vulve und :iliirm device embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is :i triiiisverse section of the seine on the line ci' Fig -1 looking' to'ii'iird tlie right, Fig. :i

Sn" on on the line ':wfi: looking toward the.

flef end llig. Llis :i Vertical section on un enlarged ecole ol' the clarin device shown in Fig. 1.

.' The reference l denotes :i waiter supiily pipe coupled :it its upper end to :i nipple 2 depending from e. viii ve casing I. l`lie laitier..

is formed ol two dill'ei'r-nt diiiiiireis iiiid iliiit portion ol"v lei-ger (,lninieter ol the cnsing il liiis mounted therein :i cylindrical liusliiilgr 1.

Tlic'nipplc 3 constitutes :i veriiiriil wiiter passage l) with which lilir lower und nli'ii curved water iiisszive 5coniiiiuniriiles. lliel upper end of the mii-er passage 5 opens into that portion of sniiillcr dininetcr oi llie vulve casing i. Coniiiiuiiiczilingwilli llnit portion of larger diali'ictcr ol the vulve fusing Ii is :i curved iiir passage-l `which lisis its upper end opening into n v'ci'tiuiilly--exlending pipe 7. rthe pipe arranged iii wziterpiissiigc i' sind opens into that portion ol iilinenient wil'ii theJ larger diameter ol the valve casing 3 as at 8. Une end of the casing 3 is closed by :L hea-d 10, 55 und the opposite end hy e heed 1.1 provided on its inner surface with projecting lugs 12 serving iis stops for e. valve 13 inovebly supported Within the casing and having fi contracted stein '13 operating in that portion 60 of smaller diameter of the casing 3.

Rising from one end of theciising 3 is e Water pipe 1+i provided with an indicating gege 15, und the opposite end of seid crising is en nir pipe 1G equipped with iin indi- 65 eating gege 17. The casing 3 is `also pro vided with in iiliirni device comprising :i Waiter pipe 18 coiniiiunicziting with tlic writer passage 5 sind supporting at its uppcr'cnd i cylini'lricnl cheminer .19 within which is a 70 piston 2() formed with an annuler depending flange 21 and n. central upwardly projecting pin The clieni'oer 19 is provided with n cover 23 tlirougli which extends :in insulated binding post 241 om 'ing spring contact 75" fingers 25, and connected to'clectriczil con-- ductors 26 in circuit willi in sudihle iilfirin (not shown).

. The utility and operetionol the mechanism constructed es thus described is :is follows: The passages 7 end 9 sind tlie interior of the casing 3 to the right of the vulve 13 contain compressed iiir while tlie passages 5 end 6, and the space within the casing 3 to the left ol the Valve 13 contain water under 35 pressure. The air pressure is less than the water ircssure, but the ziir aree at one end of the vulve 13 is greziter thun the writer aree et the stein end of tlic Valve, und e consequence, tlie vulve 13 is normally in the posi-V 90 lion sliown in Fig. '1, i'ilosing the water passage (i :it its upper und und iilso the lower end ol' the 'passage ln cnsc ol' lirc'ii tlierniostnt or siniilzir device ellected by lient (not shown) operates to cxliiiust the air pressure, whereupon the we! ter pressure forces the vulve 13 to the right opening the passages 6 und 8 und closing coniniuniczition hetwocn ilie raising und the pnssuge 9,. This permits tlie wiiter to How '-100 up through the passages 5 :ind (3 to tlio pussiig'c 7 sind l'roniilicnrc to tliespriiikler pipes. '.l`lic .inward iiiovcnient ott-lic Yeh/cl3 willidrziws tlic valve stein from the lower end ol' the pipe 18 permitting water to flow up 105 through saiid pipe to rziiso l-lir piston 2() tlius .bringing the pin 22 into contact with the Ys ring contacts 25 to close a circuitto the a arm device through the conductors 26,

To facilitate draining thecasirig 3, I 'provide a pipe 27,A at the bottom of the casing provided with a stop cock 28.

The valve -13 may be solid or hollow as desired, and I would have it understood that the comprising a valve chamber having one portion of greater diameter than the other, vertically alined air and water passages-com municating with that portion of greater diametenol the valve chamber, a branch passage extending ironi said air passage to that portion of the valve chamber oic greater diameter, a branch passage extending from said Water passage to that portion of the valve chamber of smaller diameter, and a valvular member conforming in contour to the shape of said valve chamber and normally closing said vertical passages under an excess of -air pressure against that portion oilarger diameter of the valvular member, the said member adapted to be shifted by Water pressure when the air pressure is reduced, thereby establishing communication between said vertically alined passages.

2. A device. of the 4lcliaracter described comprising a valve chamber having one portion of greater diameter than the other, vertically alined air and Water passages comiinunicating with that portion of greater diameter of the valve chamber, a branch pas sage extending from said air passage to that portion of the valve chamber of greater diameter, a branch passage extending from said Water passage to that ortion of the valve chamber, of smaller diameter, a valvular member conforming in contour to the shape of said valve chamber and normally closing said vertical passages under an excess of air pressure against that portion of larger diaiiieter of the valvular member, the said member adapted to be shifted by water pressure when the air pressure is reduced thereby establishing communication between said vertically alined passages, and a flu-id pressure operated alarm device communicating with that po'rtion of the valve chamber of reduced diameter.

3. A device of the character described comprising a valve chamber having one portion of greater diameterthan the other, vertically-alined air and water passages communicating with that portion of greater diameter of the valve chamber, a branch passage extending -from said air passageto that Y tically alined sessel portion'of the valve chamber of greater diameter, a

said Waterl passage to that portion of the branch lpassage extending from valve chamberl of smaller diameter, and a v valvular member conforming in contour to the shape of said valve chamber and normally closing said vertical passages under an excess of air pressure against that portion oi larger diameter of the valvular member, the said member adapted to be shifted by Water pressure when the air pressure isreduced, thereby establishing communication between said vertically alined passages, awater 1 pipe communicating with that portion of smaller diameter of the valve chamber and l normally closed by that portion of smaller diameter of the valvular member, a receptacle constituting a water chamber mounted l' upon said Water pipe, a pair of electrical contacts depending within said receptacle, and a fluid o erated piston-arranged Within the receptac e and adapted to engage said `contacts, thereby closing an electrical circuit.

4. A device oi t e character described comprising a valve chamber having one portion of greater diameter than the other, vertically alined air and Water passages communicating with that portion of greater di# passage extending from said air passage to that portion of the valve chamber of greater diameter, a branch passage extending from said water assage to that portion of the valve chamber of smaller diameter, and a valvular member conforming in contour to the shape ofsaid valve chamber and normally closing said vertical passages under an excess of air pressure against 'that portion of the larger diameter of the valvularmember,

saiil member adapted to be shifted by Water 'pressure when the air pressure is reduced,

thereby establishing vcommunication between said verticali alined passages, and means arranged in t at portion of larger diameter of the valve chamberfor limitingthe movement in one direction of said valve member.

5. A device of the comprising avalve chamber having one portion of greater diameter than the other, verair and Water passages communicating with that portion of greater diameter from the valve chamber, a branchI passage extending fromy said air passage to that portion of the valve chamber of greater diameter, a branch passage extending from said Waterpassage to that portion Aof the valve chamber of smaller diameter, and a valvular member conforming in contour'to the shape of said valve chamber and normally closing saidvertical passages under an excess oi air pressure against that portion of larger diameter of the valvular member, the said member adapte-d tobe shifted by .Water pres- .aineterfrom the valve chamber, a branchcharacter described i sur(x when the air pressureA is reduced, thereby In testimony 'whereof I affix my signature establlslmig comllmmcation between said 1n the presence of two Wltnesses. verticallyalmml passages, and a pluralityof lugs @xtending in that lportion of larger di- JAMES BVMCGHLE' amotor of tho valve clambor at one en'd Witnesses:

thereof uml adapted to limit the movoment MAX H. SRQLOVITZ, of the 'valvular member 111 one direction. f, A. J. TRIGG. 

